About the upgrade

Sydney Metro Northwest is an integrated transport solution from Rouse Hill through to Chatswood. Sydney Metro Northwest will connect directly with the existing Epping to Chatswood railway to allow the new trains to operate a distance of 36 kilometres between Rouse Hill and Chatswood. While the second harbour crossing is being delivered, extending metro rail from Chatswood, customers will need to walk across the platform at Chatswood to change to an existing service.

In peak hours, there will be a train at least every four minutes. On the North Shore Line from Chatswood towards the city, there will be a train every three minutes. The upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood railway is an important part of the $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest. It's the first step in introducing next generation metro trains to Sydney.

To convert the existing suburban line to next-generation metro standards, major upgrades will be needed, including overhauling the stations, 26 kilometres of new cabling, power and signalling systems and customer improvements such as platform screen doors. The five existing stations along the line, at Epping, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde and Chatswood, will have screen doors along the full length of the metro platforms to keep people and objects away from the tracks, improving customer safety and allowing trains to get in and out of stations much faster.

From late 2018, buses will replace trains for around seven months between Epping and Chatswood whilst the line is converted to metro operations. When Sydney’s metro services start in the first half of 2019, 15 trains an hour will run in both directions between Epping and Chatswood during the peak – almost four times the number of trains running in the peak direction today. For example, a customer at North Ryde travelling towards Chatswood in the morning peak will see a metro train every four minutes in the peak, compared with the train every 15 minutes they get today.

Temporary Transport Plan

Buses will replace trains for around seven months between Epping and Chatswood from late 2018. Transport for NSW has conducted detailed analysis of travel demand for customers along the Epping to Chatswood Railway and will continue refining the Temporary Transport Plan (PDF 9.3MB) in the lead up to changes in 2018.

Over the next few years, we will continue to refine the temporary transport plan. We will also work closely with residents, businesses, and education facilities along the rail line to help people plan ahead for the temporary transport arrangements.

Special works will be implemented across the temporary bus routes to:

Provide extra bus stops, shelters and seats.

Provide special signage at key intersections.

Introduce bus only signal phasing at selected locations.

Temporarily remove some on-street car parking to make way for extra bus parking.

We recognise the impacts the temporary transport plan will have on people's daily lives, and we will work to minimise impacts as much as possible and keep the time needed for the temporary transport plan to an absolute minimum. Because of the comparative speed of trains over buses, customers can expect longer journey times when the replacement bus strategy is in place.

Upgrade program

A $49 million investment in more than 120 new buses, extra bus routes and thousands of additional services will keep customers moving during the upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood line in late 2018 as part of Sydney Metro.

The upgrade of the line is an important part of the $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest project, with new-generation metro rail to deliver a train every four minutes in the peak in each direction.

The NSW Government is committed to increasing public transport reliability to support growth in Sydney. During the upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood line, customers can expect a high frequency of bus services with seven different bus route options, in addition to existing bus routes.

This includes more than 30 buses every hour in the morning peak from Epping to the Macquarie Park precinct and Chatswood. In the morning and evening peak period, services will connect customers to train stations along the Epping to Chatswood line stations at least every six minutes, with a higher frequency on the busier routes. A dedicated high frequency Macquarie University service will also run from Epping Station.

Environment and planning

Transport for NSW will move forward with the upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood railway line as part of the Sydney Metro Northwest project, following a planning process in 2015, which included widespread community consultation. To deliver Australia’s first fully-automated railway system with a train every four minutes in the peak, the existing railway between Epping and Chatswood will be closed for about seven months in 2018–19.

The Epping to Chatswood Railway Conversion to Rapid Transit Review of Environmental Factors (REF) Report and Temporary Transport Plan (PDF 9.3MB) were completed in October 2014 and were publicly exhibited between 13 October and 17 November 2014. A total of 174 submissions were received during the REF exhibition period, with the majority coming from the community and stakeholders, including special interest groups and the business community.

Key issues raised included:

Implementation of the Temporary Transport Plan

The temporary removal of rail services during the construction of the proposal

Technical aspects of the upgrade program, including the benefits of installing platform screen safety doors on the new metro platforms.

Transport for NSW has considered feedback and will continue refining the Temporary Transport Plan in the lead up to changes in 2018.

To convert the existing suburban line to next-generation metro standards, major upgrades will be needed, including overhauling the stations, installing 26 kilometres of cabling, power and signalling systems and customer improvements such as platform screen doors.